The Apprentice of a Thousand Terra Empire
by Lord Maximus
Summary: In need of a new apprentice Count Dooku remembers visiting a new world in Wild Space long ago and meeting someone with the potential to be a powerful Jedi. Only now he wishes to teach her the ways of the Sith. PART OF SERIES OF ONE-SHOTS INVOLVING CHARACTERS BECOMING POSSIBLE SITH OR DARK SIDE USERS KNOWN AS THE CHRONICLES OF THE APPRENTICE.


**The Apprentice of a Thousand Terra Empire**

Count Dooku closed his eyes as he reflected on the last few days that for the most part had been annoyingly stressful. His former apprentice, Asajj Ventress, who his master had ordered him to kill at the battle of Sullust had survived and since then had tried to kill him twice. The first was a poison attack to weaken him long enough for her and her Nightsister witches to kill him but he was not so easily defeated. The second was through an assassin offered to him on a platter by that scheming witch Mother Talzin who was related to his predecessor that upon being trained enough by him would work with the traitor to kill him.

That plan had failed as well but now that beast Savage Oppress had been unleashed onto the galaxy and Asajj Ventress had escaped which had left a personal stain on Dooku's honor as a man who never left any problems unsolved. He would settle the score with her one day and the Nightsisters would pay for their treachery but in the meantime he had problems of his own. His current acolytes and Durge for the most part recently had not shown him anything other than failure and Grievous, despite how skilled he was, was unable to manage the entire war by himself effectively without causing a lot of political problems. He needed new recruits, skilled in combat and tactics and that is why he ordered the _Invisible Hand_ which was loan from Grievous to the far reaches of the Outer Rim.

There were worlds out there unknown to the Republic, to the Jedi, and even to his own master. Dooku was careful as he knew what would happen to him if Lord Sidious had found out he had kept a few secrets from him. The world he was visiting was a world he had discovered long ago during his travels through the galaxy with his padawan Qui-Gon Jinn and the worlds out there were…

Interesting to say the least.

" _Count Dooku, we are coming out of hyperspace._ " The tactical droid on the bridge reported.

It was obvious since Dooku could see the ship decelerate back into normal space and come into orbit of a planet. "Prepare my Solar Sailor and wait for my return."

" _As you wish._ "

Clasping his cloak on and making sure he looked every bit the dignified noble he was born to be Dooku headed for his personal hangar, finding his Solar Sailor ready and waiting with his personal pilot droid already prepared for him. The ship lifted up just as he sat down and slowly propelled out of the hangar, opening its sail as it passed through the atmospheric shield and into free space. The sailor approached the planet, following Dooku's coordinates down into a part of the atmosphere that was dark red and stormy. Passing through the red clouds the Sailor easily evaded the lightning and came down above what appeared to be islands floating in the sky and up ahead in perhaps what was the eye of the storm was a castle that in many way resembled the type of towers the Sith would have lived in during the time of the Old Republic.

" _Sensors detect squadrons of unknown objects approaching._ " The pilot droid reported.

"Transmit our codes." Dooku replied, not at all alarmed.

A moment later the codes were transmitted and the fighters allowed the Solar Sailor to approach the palace and land on an empty landing pad. Dooku stood up and walked down the ramp soon it was extended, stepping onto pad and watching the guards that approached him, carrying staffs with crystals at the end.

"Master Cyclonis has ordered us to bring you to her." The apparent captain stated.

"Very well." Dooku said, allowing the guards to escort him through the palace and into a throne room.

In the center of the throne room was a machine that was odd looking and in front of it, seemingly using it for reasons unknown, was someone dressed in a purple cloak that fell to the floor, covering them completely.

"Leave us." A voice, a young female voice that sounded as cold as ice spoke and the guards quickly left, leaving Dooku alone in the room with the girl who turned around. "Count Dooku."

"Master Cyclonis." Dooku stated with a raised eyebrow. "At least are you now Master Cyclonis? I came here expecting your grandmother."

The face beneath the hood frowned. "Grandmother passed away following an incident with her idiot son. What may I ask brings you here? The last time you visited was nearly…twelve years ago."

"I come with an offer, Cyclonis. The last time I was here I sensed a great power in you, one that would have made you a gifted warrior in the ways of the Force. Your grandmother turned down my offer and I respected it. Today I renew that offer." Dooku explained.

Master Cyclonis smirked as her hood split and folded back, revealing her young face to him. "What makes you think I need training?"

She held out her hand and numerous objects, trophies earned by her predecessors floated up into the air before they came back down on their posts.

"Impressive. I see your grandmother trained you well…" Dooku smirked. "But the does not mean there is not more for you to learn."

Master Cyclonis frowned as she summoned her staff and pointed it at Dooku, the purple crystal at the tip of the staff glowing brightly. "Are you sure about that?"

Dooku held out his hand, summoning his lightsaber and igniting it as he took the classic Makashi stance. "Perhaps we should find out together."

Cyclonis fired a purple energy bolt at Dooku who calmly sidestepped the attack and rushed forward, unclasping his cloak as he ran. Cyclonis scowled and tried to lift Dooku with her powers but Dooku was one step ahead of her and sent a Force Blast that destroyed her staff, shattering it into pieces. Cyclonis stepped back, avoiding a slash from Dooku as she held out her hand summoning the remains of her staff and put the back together in under a second.

"Impressive." Dooku commented.

"You will find I am full of surprises." Cyclonis smirked.

"Oh? Are you prepared for this?" Dooku thrust his hand out.

Cyclonis gasped as she lifted off the ground and slammed into the wall. She tried to fight back against Dooku's hold but the Sith Lord released a barrage of Force Lightning that set Cyclonis's nerves on fire as she screamed. It was only for a second before Cyclonis fell to the ground on her knees, gasping and wincing from the pain of the attack.

"Your grandmother was a wise and powerful woman but she believed that as Empress of Cyclonia she had all the power one would need. I have kept my promise last time on this world and Cyclonia's effort to bring all of Atmos under its dominion has been as of late disappointing." Dooku stated as the doors opened and the guards rushed in.

"Master Cyclonis! Are you all right?" The captain shouted.

"I am fine!" Cyclonis grunted as she stood up, trying to look every bit as dignified as the royalty she was born to be. "I told you to leave us!"

The captain would have protested but the glare from Cyclonis told him to leave or he would face her wrath so he did the wise thing and quickly left with the guards.

"What do you want?" She asked, glaring back at Dooku who deactivated his lightsaber.

"I come to propose an alliance between the Cyclonian Empire and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In exchange this alliance you will gain the armies and power you need to crush all your enemies and rule Atmos. And if you become my apprentice in the ways of the Sith you will gain unimaginable power." Dooku explained. "What say you, Master Cyclonis?"

Cyclonis frowned but after a few moments of thinking she nodded. "Very well, I agree to be your ally and your apprentice."

Dooku grinned. "Good."

* * *

The alliance between the Cyclonian Empire and the Confederacy of Independent Systems was a big change for both Atmos and the galaxy. The Cyclonian Army slowly received reinforcements in the form of the Separatist Droid Armies which numbered in thousands, leaving the Sky Knights, a pale imitation to the Jedi in Dooku's mind overwhelmed.

In the meantime Dooku concentrated on the real reason he had come to Atmos: training his new apprentice.

Master Cyclonis had the potential to be a powerful Sith Warrior which Dooku had been sure of when he had first met her back when she was a little girl. Only now she had shown that she was not only skilled but she was a prodigy. Dooku had found an ideal student as Cyclonis soaked up his teachings, learning quickly as he not only taught her the ways of the Force but also how to use a lightsaber. Cyclonis constructed her own violet lightsaber and adapted her own fighting skills into the lightsaber training which her teacher(not her master) praised her for.

In many ways Dooku had found a student with more potential than even Ventress which he would not doubt exploit in the future.

But in the meantime Dooku would have to be careful because Cyclonis became too powerful Lord Sidious might sense it before she was ready and would order Dooku to kill her like he was ordered to do with Ventress. He would wait for the right time to reveal her to the galaxy and was positive she would be more than a match for the Jedi.

And in the end he and his new apprentice would overthrow Lord Sidious and they would rule the galaxy.


End file.
